Lee Ann Matherne, who won praise for reforming the Jefferson Parish Animal Shelter since taking over as director two years ago, has resigned for "personal reasons," her boss said Thursday.

Assistant Parish Attorney Tiffany Peperone is the interim director, said Deano Bonano, chief administrative assistant to Parish President Aaron Broussard. No word yet on when -- or if -- a search would take place for a permanent director.

"We're going to take a step back and evaluate the situation," Bonano said.

Matherne, who made $69,458, quit Wednesday and could not be reached for comment. When asked if she left amid criticism from animal activists, Bonano said the former director had "both friends and detractors." He wouldn't elaborate, citing administration policy against publicly discussing personnel matters.

Her resignation took Parish Councilman John Young by surprise, but he was quick to say the shelter's improvements in recent months were beyond just one person and would continue without her.

"You're going to have bumps in the road, but she seemed to be doing well, she seemed to be very active," he said. "I think her tenure as a whole was marked with a move in a positive direction."

Young said parish officials are now exploring several options, including hiring a replacement or outsourcing management of the two shelter sites, one in Elmwood and the other in Marrero, to an animal advocacy group.

Matherne took the reins of the Jefferson animal shelter in June 2007 after running the St. Charles Parish shelter for many years. She arrived just six months before the U.S. Humane Society released a scathing report about conditions at Jefferson's two shelters.

During a recent tour of the two shelters, Jeff Dorson of the Louisiana Humane Society endorsed many improvements Matherne had enacted. He said he found the shelters cleaner, the staff better trained, the guidelines clear and the medical staff better equipped. One veterinarian hired was also assisting law enforcement with forensic work, he said.

"I reviewed what some of the worst of the shelters had done, and I saw a lot of the improvements that had been completed over the past two years," Dorson said Thursday. "I thought she was trying. On the flip side, were there problems she inherited? Absolutely."

His words were a far cry from the criticism the shelter endured after the dog poisonings.

Deanna Theis, assistant director of the Southern Animal Foundation, was likewise taken aback Thursday by the news of Matherne's resignation.

"She's always been very helpful, but ... it's a tough job. It takes a special person. It's not easy," Theis said. "For a job like that, you're sometimes not given the tools you need. All I know was that she tried to do what was best for the animals." . . . . . .

Richard Rainey can be reached at rrainey@timespicayune.com or 504.883.7052.